Irish harp

Irish harp. Egan's 'Royal Portable Harp', single action harp with thirty strings. The outcurved, hollow column or forepillar has a brass cover enclosing the mechanism operated by seven ivory dital buttons. They bear note names from the bottom: D, G, C, E, B, E, A. The buttons are attached to rods that connect with 27 'fourchettes' ('forks') after Erard's action, swivelling discs on a brass plate in the neck, each with a pair of prongs. Each pair engages with the string running between them, raising it by a semitone. The bottom two strings are of wound wire, the rest are gut. Strings 7, 21 and 28, are black, strings 11, 14, 18 and 22 are red, some strings have probably been replaced. The strings are fixed with pins, probably of gilded steel, onto the spruce string holder or bridge. The back of the resonator has six soundholes in the form of slots. The resonator contains a retractable stick support with a brass foot. The instrument is painted green with gilt shamrocks, and with acanthus leaf spirals on the back.' John Egan/Inventor/ 30 Dawson St./Dublin/1820 ' is engraved on the brass nameplate on the neck. Brass knob for a leather carrying strap on the neck.